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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. MGNAIR OOYLE.

$TEAM TRAP.

No. 333,924. Patented, Jan. 5, 1886.

WITNESSES I MIME R M w. Q W 351 4 flttarney Q1 G.

W W M 6 Nv PETERS. PhuimLflhogr-A'phur. Wa'shingmn, 02C- (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

A'. MSNAIR OOYLE.

' STEAM TRAP.

No. 388,924. Patented Jan. 5. 1886.

WITNESSES d ENTOR By his zdttorney I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW MONAIR OOYLE, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,924, dated January5,1886.

Application filed September 9, 1885. Serial No. 176,62?

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW MONAIR COYLE, of \Vashington city, Districtof Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Steam-Trapfor Heating Systems and for other Purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

In the class of apparatus to which my invention specially relates thewater of condensation from a system of piping through which steamcirculates is delivered into a driptank or receiving-chamber by gravityand the press ure of the steam in the pipes, and conveyed therefrom andinjected into the boiler. Various apparatus for the purpose have beendevised, some being now in general use. In all of them, however, so faras I am aware, the working depends on the motion of some part of theapparatus which opens and closes a steam-valve. In other words, in thisclass of apparatus a valve for admitting and cutting off steam from thevacuum-chamber and some moving device actuated by the rise and fall ofwater in said chamber have always been used. Such a construction isexpensive and more or less complicated, the valves wear and get out oforder, and the moving parts are liable to become deranged.

The object of my invention, having refer ence to its application tosteam'heating systems, is to accomplish the perfect and auto mat-icremoval of the water from the drip-tank and its injection into theboiler without the use of any steam-valve, float, or moving device.Obviously the utmost simplicity of structure will be attained by suchconstruction, the cost of manufacture reduced to a minimum, and theliability of derangement and necessity for repairs practicallyeliminated. Aside from these, there are other advantages attending theuse of my apparatus, which will appear below.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partlyinsection, illustrating my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are views showingother arrangements acting on the same principle, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6are views showing some modified ways of making the pipeconnections.

While the structure shown in the drawings (No model.)

is practical and effective, I do not limit myself to the specificarrangement, as obviously any engineer might make variations in thestructure without departing from the principle of my invention.

In Fig. 1, A represents the drip-tank or receiving-chamber. It may bemade in any suitable way. I preferto cast it in globular form, and haveso represented it. Water enters the drip-tank by pipe B, (shown asleading to the bottom,) and steam enters by pipe 0, (shown as connectedat the top.) A vertical pipe, D, in connection with the drip-tankthrough the pipe B, is shown as connecting with the top of a chamber, E,which may be called the vacuum or condensing chamber, and is preferablya globular casting. From the bottom of chamber E a pipe, F, leads to theboiler, and is provided with an ordinary check-valve at f, openingtoward the boiler. The chamber A is connected with pipe D by means ofthe bent pipe G, (shown as connected near the top of the drip-tank,)carried down outside nearly to the level of the bottom of said tank,then turned, carried up, and connected with pipe D at a point preferablyabove the level of the orifice g. Vacuum-chamber E may be connected withthe steam-space of the boiler by pipe H, having an ordinary cook, 71.The chamber E is also provided with the cl1eck-valve I, which may beregulated by a screw, as shown. A pipe, K, provided with a check-valve,k, and a cock, k, maybe used, if desired, to connect chamber E with somewatersupply, fora purpose presently described.

The action is as follows: \Vater enters chamber A by pipe B and steam bypipe (3. The steam passes through pipes G and D into chamber E. hen thewater in chamber A rises to the opening 9, pipe G becomes filled and thesteam is cut oif from chamber E. The steampressure in A, acting againstthe vacuum caused by condensation in E, will now cause the water in A toascend to E by way of pipes 9 B and D. Obviously the water in the bentpipe G is the hydrostatic equivalent of that in the chamber A and pipesB and D. The water in the shorter limb of pipe G will therefore have thesame level as that in chamber A.

The lower part of pipe D is preferably on larged, so as to amply supplywater to the upper portion, as otherwise the condition of equilibriummight be disturbed. When the water-level in the shorter limb of pipe Gand chamber A falls to the bend g, the conditions of equilibrium nolonger exist. The waterin pipe G will therefore be immediately drawninto pipe D, thus opening a passage for the steam in A, which passesthrough pipes G and D and makes the pressure in E equal or near 1y equalto the pressure in A, so that the water in E flows out through pipe Finto the boiler. The apparatus remains in this condition until the steamis again out off from E by pipe G becoming filled, when the action abovedescribed is repeated.

The outward-opening adjustable check valve I on the chamber E is toallow any air which may collect in the apparatus, together with a littlesteam, to be blown out whenever the pressure in E is greater thanatmospheric pressure. Ordinarily the valve I is so adjusted as to allowonly a small escape; but it may be opened to its full capacity instarting the apparatus when full of air.

The pipe H, connecting chamber E with the steam-space of the boiler, isused to admit steam to blow out the air from chamber, in

order to produce a vacuum therein in case the lower steam-passage isfilled with water before the apparatus is started. This pipe is onlyused to start the apparatus when the steampressure is not sufficient tolift the water from A to E against atmospheric pressure. Otherwise theapparatus starts automatically.

iihen cock k is opened, water flows into chamber E through pipe Kwhenever condensation takes place, so that the apparatus can be used asa feed-water device while performing its regular functions.

If pipe G is not full when condensation takes place in chamber E, thewater in that pipe may be drawn out before chamber A is emptied.

Various devices may be used to insure the filling of pipe G, Forinstance, as shown in Fig. 1 at the connection of pipe G with chamber Amay be elongated. \Vaterthen flows to the full capacity of the pipe assoon as it overflows the opening Or the arrangement shown in Fig. 2,which I greatly prefer, may be used. In that arrangement the pipe G isextended down from its point of connection with the pipe D to a manifoldcoupling, 5/, then up and connected with the steam-pipe 0. Obviouslythis structure is the equivalent of that shown in Fig. 1. A siphon-pipe,S, is also connected with the manifold coupling g, is carried up, thenreturned at s, and connected with the tank A. The action of this deviceis as follows: Then the water in chamber A rises to the bend s of pipeS, siphoning takes place through pipe S from tank A. and pipe G is atonce filled. When the water in A falls below the connection 5 of thetank with siphon, the conditions described in connection with Fig. lexist. and when the level of water in A reachesthe bend ,or the manifoldcoupling, the water will be drawn from pipe G and steam will again passto E. Or, as shown in Fig. 3, the siphon may be made in pipe D, in whichcase the entire volume of water passes through pipe G. Here the pipes Oand G and the manifold. coupling are as illustrated in Fig. 2; but inthis case the pipe G transfers all the water, instead of only a part, asin the other arrangements. The pipe D, which rises from pipe B, isreturned at s and connected with the manifold coupling 5 performing thefunctions of both watertransfer pipe D and siphon S in Fig. 2. Whenwater rises in pipe D and in the tank A to the level of the bend s,siphoning takes place from pipe Bthrongh D into and continues untilchamber A is empty. Obviously the arrangement of these pipes may bechanged. For example, instead of connecting pipes B and D, as in Figs.1, 2, and 3, pipe D may be connected at the top of chamber A andextended down inside the chamber, as shown in Fig. 4, and pipe G mayconnect with D, either higher or lower than represented in Figs. 1, 2,and 3, (see Fig. 5, where it is shown as connected lower in full lines,and where the dotted lines indicate that the pipe may be extended up andconnected with chatnberE,)and the siphon in Figs. 2and 3 may beconnected at any point with pipe G, or with chamber A, as shown in Fig.6, even though the point of connection with A be below the bend g, inwhich latter case the water will empty from the siphon into A, insteadof into G, when the level in A falls below the connection of the siphonwith pipe G. These and other changes which do not depart from or changethe principle of operation will readily be conceived by those skilled inthe art as adapting the apparatus or any part thereof to purposes otherthan those herein described.

In placing this apparatus in house-heating systems it may be connectedineither of two ways. In cases where the return-pipe from the radiatorscan be conveniently brought into the boiler-room, the driptank is placedbelow the boiler and connected directly with the steam-space, thecondensing-chamber being hung above the boiler. The distance of thedrip-tank below the boiler-level is added to the fall of the returningwater; or, in other words, this arrangement is equivalent to placingtheboiler lower than it really is. In other cases the drip-tank isplaced below the radiators and connected with the steam-supply pipe, thecondensing-chamber being hung snlficiently high to give fall to thereturning water. The weight of a column of water equal to the distanceof the condensing-globe above the boiler is added to the pressure in theradiators to drive the returning water into the boiler. In other words,this arrangement is IIO equivalent to placing the radiators higher thanthey really are.

As the water is lifted from A toE by steampressure acting against apartial vacuum, the distance water can be lifted by this apparatus isgreater than the height of a column equal to the steamgage pressure. Itis therefore easily seen that the drip-tank may be placed so far belowthe radiators, or the condensingchamber so high above the boiler, thatthe pressure of the column of water, acting to force water ofcondensation from the radiators into the drip-tank, or from thecondensingchamber into the boiler, will be greater than the differenceof pressure between the boiler and radiators ofany properlyconstructedsys' tem.

The characteristic and distinguisliiing feature of my invention is thecutting off of steam from and the admission of steam to thevacuum-chamber by means of a fluid seal, the arrangement being such thatwater may be automatically and periodically elevated directly from thedrip-tank by steam-pressure acting against the vacuum in the upper orvacuum chamber. So far, therefore, as this broad feature is concerned, Iconsider any apparatus operating in that way and on the same principleas within the scope of my in vention.

So far as I am aware, I am the first to connect the drip-tank with asteam-supply, and I consider this an important feature of my invention,which may not necessarily depend on other parts of the apparatus.

So far as I am aware, I am the first to use an intermitting siphon as ameans of periodically introducing a sealing-liquid into a steampipe, andI consider this an important feature of my invention, which may notdepend on other parts of the apparatus.

I have described my invention with particular reference to itsapplication to steamheating. It may also be used for pumping, and forother liquids than water, particularly with very low steam-pressure, aswith the exhaust-steam from engines.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination of the chamber A, the dripor water-supply pipe leading thereto, an open connection from a sourceof steam-supply, also leading thereto, the upper or vacuum chamber, thewater-transfer pipe connecting the two chambers, and a liquid-seal pipeinterposed between the two chambers, substaniially as set forth, wherebywater is elevated from the lower to the upper chamber by thesteam-pressure acting against a vacuum.

2. The combination ofthe tank A, the chamber E, the transfer-pipeconnecting them, the seal-pipe interposed between the two chambers, andadditional means, substantially such as described, for insuring theprompt filling of the seal-pipe when the liquid reaches a given heightin the tank A.

3. In a steam-heating system, the combination of the tank A, an openconnection between said tank and a boiler or source of steam-supply, thedrip-pipe of the heating system leading to said tank, the upper orvacuum chamber, E, the transfer-pipe connecting the two ehambers,theseal-pipe interposed between the two chambers, whereby the passage ofsteam from the lower chamber to the upper chamber is alternatelyprevented and permitted, as set forth, means for insuring the promptfilling of said seal-pipe when the liquid reaches a given height in thetank A, and awater-return pipe leading from the upper chamber to thesteamboiler.

4. In a steam-heating system, the combination of the chamber A, the drippipe, the vacuum chamber E, the transfer pipe connecting them, the openconnection between the tank A and the source of steam-supply, and meansfor periodically elevating the water which accumulates in the tank bythe pressure of the steam acting against a vacuum, as set forth.

5. In a steam-heating system, the eombination of the drip-tank A, thedrip -pipe, an open connection between said drip-tank and the steamboiler, the upper chamber, E, a pipe leading therefrom to the boiler,and pipeconnections between the upper and lower chambers.

6. The combination, in a steam-heating system, of the drip tank, thedrip-pipe leading thereto, an open connection between the driptank and asteam-boiler, the upper or vacuum chamber, a water-transfer pipeconnecting the vacuum-chamber and drip-tank, and the bent water-sealpipe interposed between said watar-transfer pipe and the drip-tank,substantially as described, whereby the passage of the steam from thetank to the vacuum-chamber is alternately prevented and permitted andthe water elevated by the pressure of the steam acting against a vacuum.

7. The combination ofthe drip-tank, a fluid seal pipe connectedtherewith, and a siphon for insuring the proper filling of thefluid-seal pipe when the water reaches a given level in the tank A,substantially as set forth.

8. In a steam-heating system, the combination of the drip-tank, thedrip-pipe, an open connection between a source of steam-supply and thedrip-tank, the vacuum-chamber, the transfer-pipe between the twochambers, the

seal-pipe interposed between the two chain-- bers, a siphon for insuringthe filling of'the seal-pipe when the water in the driptank has reacheda given level, and a water-discharge pipe leading from thevacuum-chamber.

9. The combination of the upper and lower chambers, a watertransfer pipeconnecting them,'a fluid-seal pipe interposed between said chambers, aconnection between the lower chamber and a permanent source ofsteamsupply of substantially uniform pressure, and a waterseal pipeinterposed between the two chambers, for alternately permitting andpreventing the passage of steam to the upper In cestimony whereof I havehereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of September,

chamber, the organization and operation be ing substantially as hereinshown and dev A. D. 1885. scribed, whereby Water may be periodicallyANDREW MONAIR COYLE.

elevated from the lower chamber to the upper \Vitnesses:

E. O. DAVIDSON, BALTUS DE LONG.

one by steam -pressure acting against a me unm, substantially as set.forth.

